Sucralfate is a complex of sucrose octasulfate and aluminum hydroxide. Sucralfate is insoluble in water but dissolves in hydrochloric acid, releasing sucrose sulfate and free aluminum. Prior to complete dissolution, sucralfate reacted with hydrochloric acid forms an amorphous paste for therapeutic use in connection with ulcers. The mechanism of action of sucralfate is incompletely understood, but includes the protection of ulcerated tissue by physical coverage of the wound base by this amorphous paste.
The use of sucralfate for the treatment of ulcers is known in the art. For example, in his letter to the editor in American Family Physician, January 1995, B. C. Demoss, M.D. contemplated the use of sucralfate tables (Carafate®) in treating aphthous ulcers. Sucralfate gel suspensions have also been employed as an antiulcerative drug. See S. Rossi et al., “Rheological Study of Sucralfate Humid Gel: a Contribution to the Comprehension of its Stability Properties,” Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 1992:38:78-81.
The use of sucralfate gels as an ulcer healing drug has been detailed in other journals as well. See M. Guslandi et al., “Effect of a Gel Formulation of Sucralfate on Gastric Microcirculation,” J. Int'l Med. Res. 1993; 21: 47-50; see also M. Miglioli, “Prevention with Sucralfate Gel of NSAID-Induced Gastroduodenal Damage in Arthritic Patients,” Am. J. Gastroenterology, Vol. 91, No. 11, 1996; D. Vaira, “Gastric Retention of Sucralfate Gel and Suspension in Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases,” Ailment Pharmacol. Ther. 1993; 7:531-535.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,489 to Yoshihiro et al. discloses a disaccharide polysulfate-aluminum compound for use as a peptic ulcer inhibitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,860 to McGrath describes methods for preparation and use of a paste of sucralfate prepared by the reaction between sucralfate and hydrochloric acid prior to dosing under controlled conditions that limit the reaction to an incomplete stage. The formation of a paste by the controlled and limited reaction of sucralfate tablets with 1.0N HCl to form a biologically active paste prior to dosing creates the opportunity to use sucralfate as a physical wound dressing in conditions other than duodenal ulcer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,903 to Burstein describes the use of acids, such as trichloroacetic acid, hydrochloric acid, trichloroacetic acid, and formic acid to treat skin or mucous membrane lesions.
In addition, the antibacterial effect of sucralfate was studied in A. P. West et al., “Antibacterial activity of sucralfate in Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in batch and continuous culture,” Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 12, 869-871 (1993). Inhibitory and bactericidal activity of sucralfate in suspension was reported in S. G. L. Bragman et al., “Activity of sucralfate (sucrose octasulphate), an anti-ulcer agent, against opportunistic Gram-negative bacilli,” J. Antimicrob. Chemother., (1995) 36, 703-706 of sucralfate in suspension. The effect of sucralfate on the growth of certain bacteria was tested in D. Bergmans et al., “In vitro antibacterial activity of sucralfate,” Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infec. Dis., 1994 July; 13 (7) 615-20.
As antibiotics have been used more and more to treat diseases caused by microorganisms, many of these microorganisms have become resistant to, or untreatable by, the overused drug. One well known example of such a microorganism is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This type of bacteria causes staph infections that are resistant to treatment with usual antibiotics. MRSA has evolved an ability to survive treatment with a variety of beta-lactamase antibiotics, including methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, and oxacillin.
Therefore, there is a need for improved methods and compositions to treat such antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms.